Pardon the further delay but here are the results. We have a rather fascinating line up for today. It will be interesting to see if Moria can gel together and how Valinor kick off their tournament. The much talked about Tuna will finally be getting a game in, it will by no means be an easy one as they face off against one of the best strikers in the game, the dreaded Turambar. Without further ado, on to the matches!

***

Group A
Moria 0 - 0 Valinor

It was a rather well played first half. Both teams managed to string together some decent play but neither team really had any luck with the final product. Around the 25th minute Varda was shown a yellow card, though the tackle was a soft one. I've seen harder tackles go without so much as a whistle. The only real chance in the first half came around the 30th minute for Valinor when Eonwe crossed the ball in for Tulkas who nodded the ball down for Orome but the shot was narrowly wide. Moria's lack of organization was evident by their large number of offsides.

Valinor dominated the second half but were shut out by a phenomenal Watcher in the Water who is pretty much the only reason Moria hung on for the draw. Valinor will obviously be frustrated, the took many shots in the second half and completely disrupted Moria but it was just impossible to beat Watcher today. While I generally would accuse a team that plays like Moria did in the second half, of being overly defensive and a blemish on the beautiful game but since Moria seemed to have no sense of teamwork and because of the amazing agility shown by Watcher I'll excuse them this time.

Shots: 2(0) - 9(7)
Posession: 47 - 53
Bookings: Varda

Group BTuna 2 - 0 Brethil
(Finwe 11th, Finarfin 62nd)

Brethil looked very good going forward in the first half but their defence barely held at all. Tuna played masterfully all over the pitch and scored a goal very early on. Maedhros made a brilliant dash down the right flank and crossed in for Finwe to head in an early goal. Not too long after that a rather rash tackle by Finarfin earned him a yellow card. Haldir's free-kick was met by the foot of Turambar but the ball deflected out for a corner. The resultant corner was quickly cleared.

There were a fair number of chances created in the first half with both teams playing some beautiful attacking football. Feanor played in a brillaint ball for Finwe but the striker held on his shot and Niniel was able to rush forth and collect the ball. Another brilliant chance fell to Hareth after he was played in by Hunthor. Unfortunately his shot went askew, it really should have been an easy take and he just made a fool of himself. Tuna went in ahead at the end of the half.

Brethil started the second half with some smooth attacking plays and nearly equalized with Turambar's diving header but a motivated save by Fingolfin ensured Tuna stayed in front. Around the 55th minute Dorlas was shown a yellow card for a harsh tackle on Finarfin. During a rather careless Brethil advance Tuna was able to brilliantly reverse the flow with a wonderous counter-attack. Maedhros played a neat one two with [/b]Finarfin[/b] before tapping the ball front for the mid-fielder to chip in. Tuna held back after that and let the clock tick down for an easy win.

Shots: 11(9) - 6(2)
Posession: 52 - 48
Bookings: Finarfin - Dorlas

***

Well, we were certainly treated to some very good attacking football in the first two matches and I can only hope that the other two games are played at high tempos as well. Although the Tuna - Brethil game did drop in tempo once Tuna scored their second goal. None the less, they were fascinating contests.

In the next two matches we'll see Tol Eressea battle it out with Dor Lomin and the Barrow-Downs face Gondor. Finally, we get to see the champions in action. They should be fairly good matches. Anyway, time to kick off!

***

Group DTol Eressea 1 - 0 Dor Lomin
(Frodo 1st)

You couldn't ask for a better start. The first play of the game resulted in a goal. Frodo began his run right from kick off and took Dor Lomin by surprise as he ran through to the box and blasted in a shot. Brodda did get a hand to it but could not prevent it from going into the net, giving Tol Eressea a very early lead. Alas, this was not an indication of what was to be as the rest of the first half was fairly boring. The only other highlight was a yellow card to Earendil in the 43rd minute.

The second half started off very poorly with Elwing been shown a yellow card. Turin took the free kick and it was a good one at that, but in the end it went straight to the 'keeper. Tol Eressea then began to sit back and try and defend their lead. It seemed to work out quite well for them as Dor Lomin seemed unable to get a shot past a stern Tol Eressea back line. In the 80th minute though Turin broke away and rolled a shot under Eriol only for Lindo to make a heroic clearance.

Gondor took the game to the 'Downs right from kick off. They began to push back the 'Downs. After some well thought out plays and desperate clearances, Gondor had their first real chance. Anarion played the ball in to Faramir whose header was somehow saved by the Barrow-Wight. The 'Downs began to slowly piece together an attack from here. After a few good passes, Saucepan Man played a magnificent through ball for Rune, whose shot unfortunately went just wide of the mark.

From then on the 'Downs began to get in the groove and started to dominate proceedings. A lobbed ball from Phantom found Saucepan Man whose chip wound up in the back of the stands instead of the back of the net. Towards the end of the half, Sleepy Ranger nabbed the ball from Imrahil and frenzied goalwards. Ecthelion threw himself at Sleepy to stop him. The young forward appealed for a penalty but the referee judged that Ecthelion had got the ball first.

Gondor began the second half in similar fashion to the way they began the first half. Thengel forced an acrobatic save out of the Barrow-Wight. Gondor were able to build a few more attacks before the 'Downs were able to hit them on the counter-attack around the 68th minute. Sleepy Ranger and Saucepan Man played some brilliant one twos before Slepey Ranger played the ball through to Rune who made no mistakes this time and scored a fine goal.

Gondor were quite visibly annoyed as they had dominated the second half till this point and it was only fantastic keeping by the Barrow-Wight that had denied them a goal so far. Towards the end of the game the 'Downs had a free kick in a fairly good position. Phantom and Arcticstorm stood over the ball. Arcticstorm faked by jumping over and Phantom unleased his right foot, blasting the ball into the top corner, sealing a good win for the 'Downs.

Shots: 8(5) - 11(5)
Posession: 45 - 55

***

A lucky win there for Tol Eressea while the 'Downs managed to net two in their opening fixture against a resilient Gondor. This result will leave the 'Downs tied for top spot with the Inklings who also recorded a two goal victory earlier in the tournament. I expect to see some celebrations here now that the 'Downs have won...

Ladies and gentlemen, my esteemed colleague, Mister Thenamir, is a fine journalist, but unfortunately he is allowing his bias to show through in his coverage of this tournament. Either that, or this hobbit conspiracy reaches even farther than I thought, and they have even bought the mod team of The Barrow-Downs! I hope that is not the case. Now, if you were exposed to his words and bought into them, allow me to disillusion you.

First, let’s take care of a point he did not challenge.

Quote:

Originally Posted by me

hobbits should not be able to produce the necessary amount of kinetic energy to kick the ball with anywhere near the velocity of their opponents

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thenamir

This may or may not be true

Thenamir does not challenge this statement, admitting that it may in fact be true. By doing this, he has already done irreversible damage to the idea that hobbits can compete in this tournament. Think of it this way. No matter how accurate/speedy/athletic a tennis player may be, he will not be able to hang with the best in the world if he is unable to swing his arm hard enough to generate an amount of pace and/or spin that is close to that of his opponent. You won’t win Wimbledon serving 70 mph and hitting 30 mph ground strokes, no matter what sort of other incredible traits you may possess.

So really, I could just leave you with that bit of irrefutable logic and not bother to address the rest of Sir Thenamir’s statement- but I’ll do it anyway, just because I’m a loudmouth.

Quote:

the art of disappearing swiftly and silently

…plays no part in football. There is not a varied landscape to hide in. There are not trees to clamber up. No plants, weeds, or tall grass to seek shelter in. In addition, you must wear a jersey of a particular color- camouflage is not allowed. On the football field, to spot a hobbit one must simply look.

Next, please.

Quote:

they were keen-eyed and sure at the mark

As I pointed out earlier, accuracy alone cannot carry you. In a fight, it doesn’t matter one little bit that all your punches are perfectly accurate if they aren’t hard enough to do damage, or quick enough to keep your opponent from dodging them at will. In football, the accurate passes of the hobbits will not go far enough to stretch the field, or arrive quick enough to avoid interception. And if the hobbits are lucky enough to work the ball down into the offensive zone, any shot attempt will have to be taken from point blank, because longer shots won’t get to goal with enough pace to challenge a goalie. And how easy is it to gain a point blank shot when passing ability is limited? And head shots should be near impossible, seeing as opponents do not have to challenge with their own heads, but rather with bodies and feet given their size advantage.

And to address Bilbo’s leap, that was one single extraordinary jump by an amazing hobbit. The same with Beren’s leap in the 1st age. Just because Beren can leap onto a galloping horse one time does not mean that we can expect that from him again and again on a regular basis, much less expect it from every human being on the earth. Bilbo’s legendary leap is not the norm.

That's all for now, folks. I will give my take on today's games in about eight hours.

Sorry for the Fantasy tournament not being updated. I'm kind of tied up and have no clue why Arctic was unable to do it. Anyway, the results will go up late tomorrow as well probably due to some unexpected band work that's popped up. I may still be able to get them up on time. I'll keep you updated.

I was pleased to see Valinor on the attack in this game. They didn't convert, but at least they have the right idea. They ought to advance if they continue playing like that.

Tuna 2 - 0 Brethil

No surprise here. Sure, Brethil is a solid team, but if Tuna plays up to potential they can shut out anyone.

Tol Eressea 1 - 0 Dor Lomin

As I said in my pretournament breakdown, this year's Dor Lomin team is not up to the standards of years past. It showed in this game. Turin was almost good enough by himself to make up for it, but Lindo saved the day for TE and secured the win. If Dor Lomin wants to advance, their midfield needs to shape up and get the ball forward to Fingon and Turin. Those two are very dangerous, but they can't do a lot of damage when they're getting shot opportunities only once or twice per game.

Barrow-Downs 2 - 0 Gondor

Don't let the score fool you- this game was a good contest. Gondor was able to apply decent pressure and generally played smart. Fortunately the Downs was focused and determined and for the most part had their "A" game going. Particularly outstanding was SPM and Sleepy's teamsmanship. They really seemed to be playing with their eyes open, looking to make the extra pass and moving well without the ball.

Unfortunately, phantom, you appear to be basing your analysis (and misplaced accusations) on a fundamental misunderstanding of the beautiful game.

Unlike American 'football', the game of football is not based primarily on power. While strong, powerful players can be useful in certain positions (for example, central defence or as a 'target man' up front), there are many more skills which go towards making up a talented football player. Pace, agility, movement off the ball, positioning, accurate passing (both long and short), the ability to read the game are only some of the skills which, in varying degress, go towards making up a decent footballer. Hence, you will find that players do not need to be 7ft+ man-mountains to thrive in the game.

The particular qualities of Hobbits gives them great potential for becoming highly skilled players - accurate at passing, crossing and shooting, skillful in avoiding the tackle, surprisingly pacy, deceptive when moving off the ball, good positioning, difficult to 'man mark' etc.

There is no question of them having to rely on cheating to win their games. They have more than enough natural ability. Indeed, I would expect those teams with a generally far less moral approach to the world, such as Mordor and Angband, to be much more prone to cheating, and I fully expect this to be reflected in the disciplinary record by the end of the tournament.

In any event, your allegations, against Hobbit teams and Boromir88 and now seemingly extended to the Downs admin/mod team, are entirely without foundation. Unless you are able to come up with a single shred of supporting evidence, rather than pure speculation and rumour based upon a sloppy understanding of the game, I suggest you desist, lest you become subject to disciplinary scrutiny yourself.

__________________Do you mind? I'm busy doing the fishstick. It's a very delicate state of mind!

Interesting that the commentator picked up on Moria's lack of teamwork. This will be a problem throughout the tournament, I suspect. Still, Valinor are a good team with a strong defence, so it was a difficult game for Moria. They did well to keep Valinor from scoring, and they appear to have an exceptional goalkeeper in the Watcher. Not a great result for Valinor, though, as they will be hard pressed now to beat Angband to top spot in the Group.

The Tuna v Brethil result is no surprise. As I expected, Turambar looks good up front for Brethil, but he cannot carry the team on his own. Tuna are living up to expectation, and could well go far in this competition. It was, however, rather disapoointing that they did not press ahead and try to score more. For all they know, goal difference may become an issue. Typical Noldorin arrogance and complacency, in my view.

Frodo looks a good prospect up front for Tol Eressea, and they appear to have a reasonable defence. They disappointed in this game, as Dor Lomin are a fairly weak team in my view, but I think that there is more to Tol Eressea than we have seen thus far.

Finally, a good win for the Barrow-Downs, since Gondor are no slouches. Not quite the team that they were last year, perhaps, without Aragorn, but the Downs nevertheless did well to achieve the 2 goal win. Muchy credit, of course, must go to the Barrow-Wight, who looked to have as many arms as the Watcher in the Water at times. Credit too to the phantom, Rune and Sleepy although I was rather disappointed with the Saucepan Man's performace. I hope to see more of him in future matches.

Update on the Yellow Boot Trophy competition:

JRR Tolkien and Farmer Giles of Ham are the class of the field so far:

It should come as no surprise that The Phantom, having screamed "cheat" far too many times, is finding no one paying attention any longer. After working himself into a corner with predictions of Hobbit losses, he seeks to save face as a football commentator with pernicious feats of legerdemain, bringing into question the integrity of Team Shire, the referees, the Tournament Administration, and finally, finding no traction for his spurious claims, the entire governmental system of the Barrow-Downs.

Perhaps The Phantom has fallen victim to the same prejudicial attitude that brought down the known corruption of the Mordorian regime, "who did not know them well and looked no further than their bellies and their well-fed faces." Could it be that the heretofore well-researched and reasonable analysis of The Phantom has, just for once, been mistaken? These accidental lapses are common to us all. We are none the worse for admitting our mistakes freely and moving on -- we can even earn a measure of respect for being honest and sincere about our shortcomings.

But The Phantom has chosen a different tack. Sloppy Pre-Cup analysis has resulted in bad forecasting -- Garbage In, Garbage Out -- and the usually reliable Phantom has been caught with his pants down. But rather than pull them back up and chuckle over the quality of his suspenders, he shuffles around with his trousers around his ankles insisting that his pasty white thighs are not really exposed, but rather that there is a conspiracy afoot to promote kilts over pants.

And all this without one shred of evidence. Though it is still early in the running, Frodo is only one goal off from taking the Yellow Boots trophy, Samwise and Lobelia are quitting themselves well, and the avid golfer Bullroarer Took headed one in against the might of Gondor. When all is said and done, the Phantom's accusations are just that -- phantoms, without form or substance, spectres which cannot be grasped, both elusive...and delusive.

Post Scriptum: One wonders how a phantom, himself an apparition or spectre without material substance manages to score a goal, as he has for the Downs team. If the hobbits cannot generate enough "kinetic energy" to drive a ball past a goalkeeper, then it is difficult indeed to understand how a ghost can do so.

__________________
The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.

In the first match we have Nargothrond take on Niggle's Parish in what should be a one sided game, with Nargothrond clear favorites. In the other match we'll see Fangorn face off against newcomers Old Grey Hill. Fangorn were crticized for their team selection but perhaps this is their chance to silence their critics.

Unbelivable... after a very quiet start that was mostly spent with Nargothrond attempting to piece together some attacks but often floundered due to some fault of their own. Then... around the 27th minute... the impossible happened. Niggle's Parish broke on the counter attack, Inspector found the ball at his feet and crossed in for an unmarked Atkins to score a frightfully easy goal.

Niggle's freak lead did not last too long as a few minutes later Felagund played in Mormegil who held off two defenders and equalized. Niggle's Parish would have been more than happy with just a point but apparently it was not to be as moments after Nargothrond equalized, they took the lead. A well built move that was built around Gundor was superbly finished off when Gundor crossed in for Felagund to head Nargothrond ahead.

The second half began much like the first with Nargothrond building up small attacks. This time though, they found the cutting edge. Mormegil managed to snatch the ball from Perkins at the halfway line and made a fantastic run to the area where he slotted in with ease putting the result beyond doubt. Nargothrond played around Niggle's Parish now, upstaging them at every possible moment. However when Mormegil had a chance to complete his hat trick after fleuent passing with Felagund put him clear, he blasted it in. Making him the first player to score a hat trick in this tournament.

Shots: 1(1) - 12(8)
Posession: 37 - 63

Group E
Fangorn 1 - 1 Old Grey Hill
(Skinbark 60th) (Guest 74th)

There really isn't much to say about this match. It was fairly straightforward. Neither team really commit much to attack and it seemed they both weren't really trying here. Apart from the goal each there isn't anything really worth noting. Treebeard provided the pass that led to Skinbark's headed goal. Old Grey Hill equalized when Guest nabbed the ball from a defender and drove in the eqalizer.

Shots: 2(1) - 1(1)
Posession: 55 - 45

***

Nargothrond certainly showed some of the big guns how to avoid an upset. Once they score, you pop in a bunch and then just stare blankly at them while they cower behind the corner flag... or something to that effect. Fangorn should be sorely disappointed with the draw. Perhaps their lack of firepower up front is to be blamed for this.

Next up we have Gondolin taking on Wooton Major, much like Nargothrond vs. Niggle's Parish, Gondolin will be considered firm favorites to win this. However so far, the favorites haven't done too well. Let's see how this one goes. The next game, Doriath vs. Arnor should be an exciting game as both teams have very attacking line ups and very skilled players. Then again, The Shire vs. Lothlorien should have been a good match too...

Gondolin got off to a horrible start with Ulmo being forced to conede a corner almost immediatly. Fairy Queen converted after Ned sent in a brilliant outswinging corner. Surprisingly, despite Gondolin's attempts to equalize, Wooton Major went in ahead at half time.

Luckily for Gondolin, in the second half their attacks actually began to look threatening. They finally managed to get a goal in after a poor clearnace by Wooton Major landed at Turgon's feet. The midfielder turned past a defender and burst into the area, neatly tucking the ball away before anybody had any time to realize what was going on.

After scoring Gondolin began to increase the tempo, trying to undo the Wooton defence and score again. Unfortunately for them their aim was horrible and they wound up shooting all around the goal. Gondolin were saved blushes right at the death when Glorfindel's aimless cross blitzed through a crowd in the box and found it's way to Hurin at the edge of the area who volleyed in an excellent goal.

Shots: 11(4) - 3(1)
Posession: 57 - 43

Group H
Doriath 1 - 0 Arnor
(Mablung 43rd)

This match started off in quite a boring fashion. Both teams started off cautiously, expecting an oppurtunity to be given to them rather than try and make one themselves. This did work out for Doriath eventually. When careless marking by Arnor let Eol sneak past and blast in a shot that bounced off the crossbar. Mablung was ready and waiting though and pounced on the rebound to give Doriath the lead. Unfortunately for them, moments after the goal Huan was shown a yellow card for a rather dogged tackle.

The second half was a disaster! Arnor began to play rough and muscle about their opponents who in turn began to hit back. Harsh tackles flew about as did the cards. The second half barely had any actual football played. It seemed to be a game of the American version instead. It was rather disgusting. Daeron and Saros from Doriath were booked while Halbard, Elendil, Argeleb and Isildur were all shown yellow cards in a very poor second half.

Gondolin just barely edged out Niggle's Parish who put on a decent performance for their first game. I am very, very disgusted by the way Doriath and Arnor played and strongly feel both teams should be punished. I would not expect such kind of play from orcs or goblins even.

Here is the next set of fixtures. Moria vs. Angband should be a decent match if Moria can work together. Tuna vs. Shire will perhaps put an end to this Hobbit debate that's been going on, but as is more likely it will only add fuel to the fire. Mordor will be very much looking to avenge their loss to Roverandom by whipping whoever they have to face next, I sincerely pity Tol Eressea. The Barrow-Downs will square off against The Inklings in what should be an exciting match up. Both of them won their opening games 2-0. Let's see how they face off.

Actually, Thena, I thought that the phantom’s pre-tournament analysis was pretty much spot on, save that he over-rates Arnor and has a bee in his bonnet about The Shire (who, it should be noted, have not exactly acquitted themselves as well as might be expected thus far). It is a shame, though, that he is letting his blinkered view of Hobbits detract from his usually well-observed insight.

So, to the most recent batch of matches.

Nargothrond v Niggle’s Parish was completely predictable. Niggle and his players never stood a chance against a great attacking team like Nargothrond and Mormegil fully lived up to expectations. It doesn’t even surprise me that they let a goal in, even to a weak team like the Parish, as they are so focussed on attacking that they can leave themselves exposed at the back. This may cause a problem for them against stronger teams, but they will simply look to score more than they let in.

The Fangorn v Old Grey Hill match was a pretty dull affair. Fangorn really should have done better, but the fact that they let in a goal against a weak team like Old Grey Hill and managed to score only one against them underlines the tactical shortcomings of their chosen line-up.

I am disappointed that Gondolin let in a goal to a weak team like Wooton Major. Their defence should be much better than that. Corners can be a bit of a lottery, but they left the Faerie Queen totally unmarked. That said, credit must, I suppose, go to Ned for the quality of the corner. Gondolin will be happy to get a win under their belts, but they need to work on their set-play defence if they are to prevail against stronger teams.

Finally, the Doriath v Arnor game. As I have said, I consider Arnor to be over-rated and I think that they had rather let all the acclaim go to their heads. When things weren’t working out as they expected on the pitch, they got frustrated. Hence all the cards they picked up. I am disappointed that Doriath reacted in the way that they did, though, since they are a better team than that, but Huan can be a bit of an animal at times and Saeros definitely has an attitude problem.

Yellow Boot Trophy competition update:

After the first round of Group matches, the current holder, Mormegil, has reclaimed top spot. All is right with the world.

This game was lopsided, as it should have been. Nargothrond is very good, and Mormegil is fantastic. Niggle's Parish is not. There's not much else to say past that. I only wish Nargothrond had not lapsed and allowed that one silly goal at the start. It cost me four fantasy points.

Fangorn 1 - 1 Old Grey Hill

What a yawner. But Fangorn did show some promise in the sense that they weren't fighting with one another. Maybe they've got things put together.

Gondolin 2 - 1 Wooton Major

Similar to the Nargothrond game, the team that was clearly better won. And also, just like the Nargothrond game, the one dumb goal Gondolin allowed cost me four fantasy points.

Doriath 1 - 0 Arnor

Someone needs to do a bit of investigative reporting to find out what is wrong with Arnor. They have very good players, but they were just a train-wreck on the field. They didn't look like they wanted to be there, and when they did look purposeful it was while dealing a cheap-shot or dirty tackle. They should be ashamed of themselves.

Really sorry but I was unable to sim the matches today since I had family over later on. Due to which I'll double on the matches tomorrow, and we'll have both today's fixtures as well as tomorrow's done tomorrow to make up for it.

We'll have four matches played together now. Moria vs. Angband, I reckon if Moria can get over their teamwork issues they may actually threaten Angband but in the end I can see Angband picking up the three points regardless of what happens. Tuna take on the Shire in the next fixture. The Shire made it to the semifinals last time around but have failed to impress in their first match, whereas newcomers Tuna have been on fire. Can the Shire pick themselves up? Phantom says no.

Mordor will still be hurting after their loss at the hands of Roverandom and I'm certain they'll be looking to murder whoever they face. I pity Tol Eressea, they'll be lucky to make it out alive. In the final fixture the Barrow-Downs take on the Inklings. Both teams won their first match 2-0 and I reckon this match will probably decide who tops the group.

Moria did not seem to have any team work issues at all in a brillant first half display. They managed to outclass Angband several times and created some breath taking chances including a good freekick which resulted in a goal. Moria's first chance came around the tenth minute when Balin headed just over the goal after a fine cross from Azog. Only moments later Azog went for the fancy and bycycled the ball over the goal. Much to the relief of Moria, Durin's Bane found the back of the net with a sweet curving free kick that swerved past an outstreched Glaurung.

After the break Angband came out guns blazing, desperate to try and get the match back in their control. So far Angband had not done much wrong but Moria were just fantastic. However in the second half the Morian defence began to get a bit edgy and more or less stopped playing as a team. The midfield held solid though and prevented any real threats from developing. Around the 55th minute Melkor blazed a long effort just over the crossbar. The rather unkempt Angband supporters began to boo their team.

Finall at the 64th minute their attacks paid off and Melkor found himself clean through after a pass from Thuringwethel. He calmly slotted in to bring the scores level. Not even ten minutes later Gothmog's shot struck the post but the rebound was shuffled in by an alert Thuringwethel, who scored her second goal of the tournament. Angband were back in control of things. The match decreased in tempo a bit and the Moria team began to disintegrate, their teamwork all but lost. Melkor capped off the win with a cheeky penalty after he was brought down in the area by Oin.

Shots: 5(2) - 6(4)
Posession: 49 - 51

Group BTuna 2 - 1 Shire
(Finwe 10, Maedhros 15) (Pippin 87)

Tuna started off the match superbly. Right from kickoff, Finwe and Feanor began to play some nimble one-two's to blitz past the Shire defence. Feanor then played the ball front for Ingwe who had burst forth. The midfielder's shot whizzed into the goal only for the linesman to raise the flag. Goal disallowed due to offside.

Aggrivating as that is, Tuna kept their heads up and played good football. It did not take long for them to score. Maedhros' tenth minute corner provided the break through. The defence failed to clear the inswinging corner on the first bounce and it proved fatal as Finwe latched onto it and struck in beautifully. Only five minutes later, a poor clearance landed at Maedhros' feet. The midfielder struck the ball from about 30 yards out, his shot seemed to take a deflection off of Tom Cotton on the way in but the Tuna midfielder was given the goal.

Tuna relaxed after the early two goal lead. While they could have pressed on to score more they decided to sit back and keep their players rested. Smart tactic, as an injury or suspension could prove very costly. The game was played out slowly, with Tuna seeing most of the ball and dictating tempo. The Shire hardly got a look in at all, it really does make one wonder if Frodo and Merry were perhaps not the driving force behind their success all along. However right towards the end, around the 87th minute a rather soft tackle by Amrod earned him a yellow card and Shire a penalty. Pippin converted it but in all honesty you have to question the referee's judgement.

The first half was oddly quiet apart from a third minute goal scored by Dark Lord. It was the Witch King who did most of the work here, dribbling past the Tol Eressea defence and faking out their goalkeeper, instead of taking a shot though he pulled the ball back for Dark Lord to tap the ball into an open goal. One goal, one shot. The Mordor fans are ecstatic after having to go through the painful experience of fourteen shots with no goals. Tol Eressea did not commit to attack even after going down while Mordor found it hard to find rhytym.

Everything changed in the second half though as Mordor began to unleash hell on their opponents. About ten minutes after the restart a fantastic cross in from Gothmog was headed in by an enthusiastic Dark Lord to double the lead. Only minutes after this goal, at the hour mark, Gothmog sent in a swinging cross upfield which was volleyed in by Witch King to solidify Mordor's lead. Only moments later Dark Lord came within touching distance of a hat trick but his shot fizzled wide of the left post. Mordor mellowed out a bit but still had room for one more goal.

Near the 80th minute they won a corner. Snaga lofted the ball and Shagrat knocked it in with full force to wrap up an easy day's work. Mordor completely bull dozed Tol Eressea, sending out a clear message that they can crush just about anyone they want quite easily.

The first half started out quite slowly with both teams sizing each other up. The Inklings had the first chance when Formendacil was judged to have pulled C.S Lewis' shirt, earning him a yellow card and the Inklings a penalty. Everything went wrong though and J.R.R Tolkien's spot kick was punched out by the Barrow-Wight who then held onto the ball firmly when Charles Williams headed the rebound goalwards.

The 'Downs managed to begin a brilliant move towards the end of the half which involved Phantom, Feanor and Sleepy moving the ball among themselves. Finally, Phantom sent the ball towards Saucepan Man who lobbed it into the box for a diving Sleepy Ranger to head into the goal. The crowd was ecstatic as the 'Downs went in ahead.

Only minutes after the restart Sleepy Ranger doubled the advantage, when together with Saucepan Man he moved goalwards. The young striker played the ball front to Saucepan Man who had made a run into the box. Instead of shooting he selflessly snaped the ball back for Sleepy Ranger who lashed his foot forward knocking the ball in for his brace. Only minutes after that goal, Sleepy Ranger turned creator and curved in a ball for Saucepan Man to volley in. The Barrow-Downs seemed to have run away with it at 3-0 but there was still a lot of football to played.

However at the hour mark it looked buried and done with as Glirdan broke forward to play in Saucepan Man who held up the ball for Phantom. The midfielder did what he does best and drilled in a low shot which nearly knocked over Adam Fox. The Inklings did have something to sing about at the end of the game though as Christopher Tolkien picked up a loose ball after the 'Downs defence failed to clear a corner, and tapped it past a rather disappointed Barrow-Wight. None the less, that's three points for the 'Downs.

Shots: 8(6) - 5(3)
Posession: 59 - 41
Bookings: Formendacil

***

We've had a rather exciting day of football here with a bunch of penalties as well. There were no real upsets on the day except perhaps the upset fans after a Shire loss. However, I reckon that will leave a smiling Phantom. Angband did very well to stay calm after going down and made a fantastic comeback. Tuna should have pressed on for more but I can understand why they would have wanted to play it easy. Mordor demolished Tol Eressea much as I had expected. The 'Downs won by quite a margin and to be honest, it is not something I had expected at all.

First we have Nargothrond face off against Buckland in what should be a pretty one sided game. Misty Mountains will then be taking on Old Grey Hill. Though Old Grey Hill did manage a draw against Fangorn I suspect that Misty Mountains will be too much for them. I predict an easy win for Misty Mountains.

***

Group CNargothrond 2 - 0 Buckland
(Mormegil 2, 88)

It was a fairly straightforward game. Buckland made their intentions clear right from the start, they just parked their horses in front of goal. Then again even Nargothrond made their intentions clear right off the bat, with a goal coming just two minutes into the game. Mormegil slugged his way past defenders after being played in by Gundor. Unfortunately after this goal Nargothrond calmed their approach and their attacking flair from the last match seemed to have been lost.

Buckland could barely piece together an attack as Nargothrond played a very central game, barely leaving the midfield. It was fairly boring and not really anything worth watching. The only other highlights came when Mormegil blasted a shot from some 30 yards out only to have it hit Mim and go out of play. Near the end of the game Mim made up for his earlier goal costing mistake by providing a cross for Mormegil to head in with relative ease.

Shots: 5(3) - 1(0)
Posession: 60 - 40

Group E
Old Grey Hill 0 - 1 Misty Mountains
(Dwalin 66)

This was a fairly good match. Both teams managed to create a decent number of chances it's such a shame that they could only manage to score one goal between them. The first chance fell to Old Grey Hill when their striker, Guest played in Sun who waited for too long before he took his shot. Only minutes after that Sun had another wonderful chance when he broke free and was only stopped by a last ditch tackle by Bolg.

Right after that Misty Mountains began a fantastic counter attack which saw Stone Giant's lobbed shot blocked by a resilient Man in the Moon. Stone Gian got another chance from the resulting corner but this time Man in the Moon held onto the striker's attempt. Despite a good show from both teams we went in all square at half time.

In the second half Misty Mountains began to show their dominance and build up swift attacking plays. However they were unable to find the breakthrough till the 66th minute when Dwalin who recieved the ball after a goal kick by Bolg took a potshot from 45 yards out. His screamer of a shot whistled by a stumbling Man in the Moon to open up the scoring.

Apparently this was enough to break down Old Grey Hill who just found it impossible to build up any worthwhile attack after letting in a goal. Misty Mountains dominated the rest of the game but failed to really make much of an impact or even cause any danger in front of goal. In fact their only goal could be called a bit of a fluke. Forty five yards out? What are thd odds?

Shots: 5(3) - 7(3)
Posession: 46 - 54

***

Nargothrond won in a very one sided game. I'm surprised they did not score more but that is down to their reluctance rather than Buckland's defensive prowess. Misty Mountains secured a fairly simple one goal win over Old Grey Hill. They were pretty evenly matched in the first half but Old Grey Hill just had no character to deal with going a goal down. Job well done by Misty Mountains.

Exciting game. It would keep you on the edge of your seat for at least eighty minutes after which Gondolin proceeded to run away with it. There were a fair number of chances in this game but none looked overly threatening. Despite this the quality of play was superb. Fantastic dribbling by Mirkwood and skilled attacking by Gondolin. While a loss here is harsh on Mirkwood leaving them in a must win situation for their next game. The main highlight of the first half was Legolas being shown a yellow card for recklessly challenging Turgon.

The goals ended up being a fairly simple affair. Turgon passed to Hurin who had positioned himself brilliantly just outside the area and struck in a magnificent shot. The next goal was an even simpler deal. Glorfindel headed down a lofted cross to the feet of Hurin who only had to tap into a practically open goal. Mirkwood can feel disappointed, they've had a horrible shooting record and it hasn't improved much here.

It was a fantastic game. Brilliant play by both teams, especailly Farmer Giles who managed to creat space brilliantly and always got into areas that caused some major problems for the Doriath defence. Though Doriath did play the offside trap very well catching Farmer Giles offside on several ocassions. Mablung provided the first goal after Beren crossed from outside the area, finding Mablung unmarked and ready to provide an excellent header. Only four minutes later Mablung blazed in a rising shot from thirty yards out after being played into position by Dior.

Farmer Giles pulled one back for Ham before the break. Hame showed great character and kept attacking even though they went two goals down. Tailbiter faked his way into the box and then rolled the ball up past the keeper for Farmer Giles who had made a fantastic run forward to tap the ball into an empty net. Despite some more decent attacks by both teams they went in at half time with Doriath leading by a goal.

Ham managed to equalize before the hour when Miller's inswinging corner found the head of Tailbiter and in a spiked header it rocketed into the roof of the net, nearly tearing through. Both teams played a solid game after this, neither really risking their necks for the winner. The game was dampened though when Miller took down Daeron from behind. Many people believe that he should have been sent off, even his own fans began to boo him. That was a horrible tackle.

Location: Wearing rat's coat, crowskin, crossed staves in a field behaving as the wind behaves

Posts: 9,051

Nogg's Ball press release

The Blue Mountains council of elders releases this statement to make clear their intents and their aspirations.

At Tumunzahar the things have been considered and reconsidered by the board of the team.

With many players in this tournament a further shot at a show-off / show-up is given.

The team Nogg's Ball will stick to the following principles:
- No hobbits or any other shorter than dwarf persons in the team.
- No outsiders to the ME will join the team (not even J.R.R. himself).
- No BD "hot-players" in the team - just to be sporty.
- Possibly an elf or two - just to be sporty.

From the opening line-up the Nogg's Ball's board trusts wholeheartedly at this moment Nogrod (the name should tell you why), Ancalagon, Maedhros and the Witch-King. Whatever happens, Nogg's Ball will probably go through the tournament with these players - unless a team of one of these drops out after the round-robins.

But Nogg's Ball's directorate would also express it's willing to reconsider the goalie-situation as even if they honour the skills of Smaug they are a bit worried about his condition and the chances of Erebor in the first place. But with only one game behind the board will wait for more results.

The same worry seems to hang over the strikers as well. Tulkas (two games) and Gothmog (one game) have been pretty unimpressive so far and a trade might be coming in timely. Gothmog will be given a second chance but trading Tulkas off looks quite tempting... not the least as we seem to have premier-class strikes like Mormegil (a two-edged sword as a choice, admittedly ), Felagund, Finwë or Tar-Ancalime (whom we were initially signing in to our team)... Bullroarer Took and J.R.R. Tolkien we will let out of this discussion as well as Sleepy Ranger and the Saucepanman - they are excellent players and fantastic scorers but we must obey our principles.

For our defence and the midfield we need to look more closely at the team performances before we make our decisions. A few changes will take place after the second round is completed.

__________________Upon the hearth the fire is red
Beneath the roof there is a bed;
But not yet weary are our feet...

Group A
Moria were unlucky to be drawn in the same Group as a clearly in-form Angband and, with Valinor in the Group too, they are going to struggle to qualify. Which is a shame, as they don't look half bad. They put up a good fight against Angband for most of the match, but Thuringwethil looks to be on excellent form and Melkor is now coming up with the goods too. If Valinor win against Erebor, which is more than likely, it looks to be all over for Moria. Angband, on the other hand, are almost certainly through (like anyone expected them not to qualify from the Group ...).

Group B
Unfortunately, with Frodo and Sam gone, The Shire are nothing like the exciting team that they were last year and, while Pippin grabbed a consolation penalty, I am sorely disappointed in his form. Still, perhaps this will put paid to the cries of foul play against them. It certainly looked like a clumsy tackle from Amrod to me, so I think that the penalty decision was a fair one. Tuna, on the other hand, are nicely living up to their pre-tournament hype and look very likely to qualify at the top of the Group table, although I am disappointed that they didn't press more towards the end. While some have attributed this to prudence, they should remeber that the fans want to see exciting football from the flair teams. I would have expected less caution from a team that contains the likes of the feiry Feanor and his sons.

Group C
Buckland really disappointed in their match against Nargothrond. It was always going to be difficult for them, but they could at least have made a fight of it. Sitting back and defending against an excellent attacking side, with perhaps the best striker in the competition in Mormegil, was always going to invite trouble. They are lucky that Nargothrond, uncharacteristically I might say, took their foot off the pedal, or it could have been a complete bloodbath. In any event, as just desserts for their disappointing play, Buckland now need an absolute miracle to have any chance of progressing. It will also be a miracle if Nargothrond don't now go on to win this Group in style.

Group D
Well, it looks like Mordor, and particularly their sinister front pair, the Dark Lord and the Witch-King, are back on form. They needed a win and they got it in spades. I am disappointed that Tol Eressea didn't do better, since they looked to be quite a good prospect in their first match. If Roverandom continue to surprise, they could be looking at an early trip back across the Sundering Sea. Still, the Group is interestingly poised at the moment, with Roverandom, Mordor and Tol Eressea all on 3 points.

Group E
I am surprised that Old Grey Hill put up such a good fight against the Misty Mountains. Buckland could learn a thing or two from them. It looks like they have the Man-in-the-Moon-in-the-goal largely to thank for that. Misty Mountains look to be a capable team, having seemingly resolved their differences and have deservedly cemented their place at the top of the Group. I am particularly impressed with the unlikely 'little and large' partnership of Dwalin and the Stone Giant up front, but Bolg looks to be a good prospect in goal too.

Group F
After losing two matches on the trot, Mirkwood are staring down the barrel of an early exit. Which is a shame, because, on form, they can be a team with great attacking flair. Legolas has been a major disappointment, as he is usually a prolific provider and scorer from midfield. I can only think that he is missing his partnership with Gimli, with whom he plays at club level. The two of them are known to have a friendly competition going to see who can score more goals than the other, and he perhaps lacks the spur that this normally provides him. It's no excuse though, as playing for his realm should be incentive enough. Still, it was always going to be a tough match against the sturdy defence of Gondolin, and Hurin looks to be in great goal scoring form.

Group G
The Inklings were a revelation in the first match, but they came up against a Barrow-Downs side who look to be building up to last year's championship-winning form. I was glad to see the Saucepan Man back on form and linking up well with the phantom and Sleepy Ranger. To be fair, the Inklings might have done a lot better, but for some great goal-keeping from the Barrow-Wight. Who knows what might have happened had they converted that early penalty? It was awful at the time, but in hindsight, the spectacle of Formedacil tugging on the shirt of CS Lewis was rather amusing.

Group H
I am yet to watch the highlights of the Doriath v Ham match but, from the result, it looks to have been a good one. A draw is actually quite a good result for both teams as, regardless of the result between Arnor and Rivendell, it will keep them both at the top of the team table.

And now for that Yellow Boot Trophy update ...

It's no surprise that Mormegil remains in top spot, although his father, together with Mablung and (surprisingly) Farmer Giles of Ham are hot on his heels.

And if standard rules apply, then it will be the winners facing each other from matches:
1-8 = Angband – Misty Mountains
2-7 this is a hard one to predict…
3-6 = Tuna – Gondolin
4-5 = Barrow-Downs – Nargothrond

So Angband and The Barrow-Downs will meet in the semifinal!

On the other semifinal a group of nobodies (unless Mordor gets it’s act together and will proceed to this stage) will face Tuna, and Tumunzahar will be betting heavily on Tuna – elves they are but however…

So a final between Tuna vs. Angband / Barrow-Downs to be seen?

Due to these considerations Nogg’s Ball’s directorate will announce the following change to their line-up.

Sold out:
FW Tulkas (Valinor)

Signed in:
FW Finwe (Tuna)

Other changes will take place after the rest of this round’s matches are played out.

Generally the team will be considering selling off the Erebor goalie Smaug in the first place but as said earlier, he will be given an opportunity to show his skills as well as his team to show up some actual playing before any action is taken by the board of Nogg’s Ball. The same goes with Valinor’s defender Mänwe.

Depending on today’s fixtures Nogg’s Ball will be highly interested in changing their Barrow-Downs midfielder Feanor of the Peredhil (a winning teams midfielder to be sure but a bit ineffective) to either Dwalin (Misty Mountains) or Wizard Artaxerxez (Roverandom). Also Ham’s midfielder Miller would be an option – depending on today’s results and the consecutive standings in the charts (whether Ham will meet Angband in the first knock-out round or not).

But the time will tell…

PS. Sleepy & Arcticstorm: I have made the change in Nogg’s Ball’s initial line-up.

__________________Upon the hearth the fire is red
Beneath the roof there is a bed;
But not yet weary are our feet...

First up we have Erebor facing off against Valinor. I reckon Valinor should be able to win this match. If they fail to win they will have the nearly impossible task of besting an in form Angband. Valinor have it all to play for. Lothlorien are second though only on goal difference. They have to win here to keep any hopes of making it through. They will have a hard time against Tuna who have been on fire.

***

Group A
Valinor 0 - 1 Erebor
(Bard 87th)

This match was not really one of high quality but Erebor managed a last grasp victory with a cheeky goal from their forward Bard. Valinor did start the game rather gracefully almost going ahead after an Eonwe free kick floated goalwards struck the crossbar. Near the end of the first half they had another great chance when Pallando swept in from the right flank but his shot rolled harmlessly past the left post. The teams went in all square with Valinor dominating the chances.

In the second half it was Erebor that created the first chance when Bard broke away. He was taken down in the box by Manwe. An appeal for a penalty went up but the referee said the tackle was a clean one. Only moments after that Manwe was booked for a tackle on Bard outside the box. Ironically the tackle in the box looked more like a foul than this did. The refs need to be more consistent.

The only goal of the match came in the 87th minute after a corner. The corner was taken by Fili. After some anxious headers by both teams the ball wound up loose in the box. Bard swooped down on it and blasted it in from point blank. Erebor manage to win out of nowhere.

Shots: 5(2) - 3(1)
Posession:50 - 50
Bookings: Manwe

Group BLothlorien 2 - 0 Brethil
(Gandalf 12th, Amroth 53rd)

Lothlorien have finally got their game on. Gandalf scored off a free kick in the 12th minute to finally give Lothlorien a goal. The game was a good one for them, they played some beautiful football and while their chances were few and far in between they made the most of them. In fact you could say that Brethil dominated attacking play in the first half. They got in five shots, three on target but lacking power or just shooting them straight Galadriel while Lothlorien could only manage two, the one on target resulted in their goal.

Soon after the second half began Lothlorien had another great oppurtunity. Gandalf played in Gimli who crossed in well from the right flank. The ball went over a crowd in the box and found Amroth who was standing wide and shot the ball into the bottom corner giving Lothlorien a two goal advantage. Brethil came close to equalizing when Turambar forced an exceptional save out of Galadriel from point blank.

Shots: 4(2) - 6(3)
Posession: 48 - 52

***

Valinor lost! To make it through the have to beat Angband. I guess it's safe to say that they won't be making it through to the next round. Lothlorien managed a good win which gives them moral advantage going into the next round. More importantly they have two precious goals which will certainly put the pressure on the Shire.

Next up Roverandom will be taking on Dor-Lomin. Roverandom managed to sneak a win past Mordor but what about Dor Lomin? They may have lost their first game but they have a very good attack and are very capable of scoring a goal. I reckon Dor Lomin may snatch the win. Rivendell impressed me very much in their loss against Ham while Arnor played disgracefully. If the last games were any indication, Rivendell will win this with ease.

***

Group D
Roverandom 0 - 1 Dor Lomin
(Turin 19th)

This was a boring game. Dor Lomin won with what was pretty much to only real chance of the game. Amazing really since the two teams managed to take about twenty shots between them. I have never seen such dreadful shooting before. Can you believe that this team beat Mordor?!? Ugh... dreadful.

Dor Lomin's goal came when Turin picked up on a defensive lapse and stole the ball off of a defender to knock the ball in before anyone so much as realized what was happening. Turin then managed to get himself a yellow card for a dangerous tackle. Boring game.

Shots: 7(0) - 12(2)
Posession: 49 - 51
Bookings: Turin

Group HArnor 3 - 0 Rivendell
(Aragorn 67th, 78th, 83rd)

*Report Pending* Sorry, have some work to do elsewhere. Won't have time to do this right now.

Grrr! I am not at all happy with these results, because most went contrary to my expectation and most are dreadful for my Fantasy World Cup team.

Group A
Disaster for Valinor! One of the fancied teams pre-competition, they now need to beat the mighty Angband by a significant margin and rely on a favourable result from the Moria v Erebor game. It's not looking good for them. But they only have themselves to blame. They are far too cautious as a team, as their failure to score even a single goal so far shows. I am also wondering whether they are unsettled, as Manwe is usually a very calm and focussed player and his poor tackling was most out of character. A great result for Erebor, of course, who now have a realistic chance of going through. Personally, though, if Valinor goes out, I would prefer Misty Mountains to go through, as I think that they are the better team.

*News just in: Valinor team coach, Eru Iluvatar, has been quoted as saying that he does not mind if Valinor are eliminated, as he created the competition and all the teams in it, and there is no outcome that would not be to his greater glory.*

Hmm, perhaps that explains their lacklustre approach ...

Group B
Isn't it great to see Gandalf still banging them in, even at this late stage in his career? A good result for Lothlorien, and a surprisingly good turn of play from the inexperienced Amroth. Still, they are not through yet. They still have the superb Tuna to play, whereas The Shire will be facing a poor looking Brethil (with Turambar their only player of note).

Group D
Well, on the basis of Roverandom's previous performance, I certainly didn't expect them to lose to Dor Lomin. Like Brethil, Dor Lomin, only have one player of any note, and that's Turin. Mind you, he's not half bad. He reminds me of a young Mormegil, which is no bad thing, given Mormegil's record in this competition.

Still, the result makes Group D very interesting - each team on 3 points with it all to play for. I'm still backing Mordor and Tol Eressea.

Group H
Well the highlights of the Arnor v Rivendell match are still pending, but the result means that Rivendell becomes the first team to be eliminated for sure. It's a shame, as they looked in their first match like they might be able to recapture the glories of competitions past, and I would have expected them to beat Arnor. Still, Aragorn proved that he was a good player when at Gondor, and his hat-trick in this match shows that he clearly still is. The Ham v Arnor match is likely to determine second place in this Group, and I still have high hopes for the plucky folk of Ham.

__________________Do you mind? I'm busy doing the fishstick. It's a very delicate state of mind!

Angband are surely through to the next round now. They've probably done enough to secure top spot as well. The hunt for second place is still on though. Any of the three teams could take it. Realistically though only Erebor and Moria have a chance. Valinor face the daunting task of having to beat Angband while hoping that Moria beat Erebor. Even then they'd have to rely on a superior goal difference.

Erebor only need a draw against Moria to qualify. Moria would need to beat Erebor to make it through, while hoping that Valinor do not defeat Angband. I can not really see Valinor taking any points off Angband and therefore reckon it will come down to Erebor and Moria. If Moria can sort out their issues I think they may have a chance but at the moment I believe the group will end like so,

1st- Angband
2nd- Erebor
3rd- Moria
4th- Valinor

Group B

Tuna have booked their berth in the next round and their match against Lothlorien will decide who tops the group, then again in Lothlorien's case a loss could threaten their qualification. I believe Lothlorien will play cautiously and look for a draw. The Shire are up against Brethil. It is a game that I would expect the Shire to win. They would however have to hope that Tuna beat Lothlorien by at least two goals for the goal difference problem to clear.

I believe Lothlorien may just snatch a draw in here but even if they fail to do that I can not see the Shire closing the gap on goal difference. Then again Brethil have leaked in plenty of goals. I think Lothlorien will follow Tuna out of this group, just barely.

1st- Tuna
2nd- Lothlorien
3rd- Shire
4th- Brethil

Group C

Nargothrond have been the dominant force in this group. Numenor too have done quite well though what happens in their second match is yet to be seen. I assume that the last day match-up of Numenor vs. Nargothrond will decide the group leader. I really doubt Niggle's Parish or Buckland have any chance of making it out of the group and will be playing each other for third place.

While I'm undecided as to whether Nargothrond or Numenor will top the group I am willing to take a risk and predict the following,

1st- Nargothrond
2nd- Numenor
3rd- Buckland
4th- Niggle's Parish

Group D

This is a very interesting situation. With two games played by all, each team finds themselves with a one and a loss, in other words 3 points each. It will definitely be an interesting final day. Mordor take on Dor Lomin and Tol Eressea take on Roverandom. I do not think there will be any fluke wins and I believe Mordor will top the table on goal difference after Mordor and Tol Eressea win their respective matches.

1st- Mordor
2nd- Tol Eressea
3rd- Roverandom
4th- Dor Lomin

Group E

This group is still fairly open although I guess Misty Mountains have secured their place in the next round. I guess it's a toss up between Tol In Gauroth and Fangorn. Whichever of them wins is better poised to finish second. It's really not an interesting group decide being so open. It's too weak in my opinion.

Gondolin have secured their spot in the next round and as soon as Bree beat Wooton Major they too will have secured their place in the next round. I had expected Mirkwood to do better but that's football, things tend do go as they want to.

1st- Gondolin
2nd- Bree
3rd- Mirkwood
4th- Wooton Major

Group G

Interestingly enough at this point in time any of the four teams could go through. Although some only have a very slim chance. I very much expect Gondor to defeat Rohan today but the outcome is still to be known and Rohan are very much capable of winning.

Barrow-Downs: With 6 points one can assume they are through to the next round. However, Inklings, Gondor and Rohan are all capable of matching their points tally. Matching their goal difference will be highly improbable though hence I believe the 'Downs are certain qualifiers. Their last day match is against Rohan which, perhaps, could be called an almost definite win.

Inklings: Currently second on 3 points. They will be facing off against a rather tough Gondor team. The Gondorians gave the 'Downs a run for their money in a game in which the scored perhaps was a bit unfair. Gondor could very well beat the Inklings here which should give them six points and a qualifying position.

Gondor: They will have to face the Inklings on the final day. I believe they will beat Rohan today and then go on to beat the Inklings and finish second.

Rohan: I expect them to lose to the 'Downs and finish on zero points.

1st- Barrow Downs
2nd- Gondor
3rd- Inklings
4th- Rohan

Group H

Group H is open for Ham, Doriath and Arnor. The final day fixtures will see Ham take on Arnor and Doriath face Rivendell. Doriath will be playing for a win as that is the only thing that can assure them qualification. It will not be that easy a task as Rivendell will be looking to prevent an embaressment and score at least a point. Ham and Arnor have it all to play for. A draw here wouldmean Ham go through while Arnor have to rely on Rivendell to beat Doriath. A Ham win will see them through, an Arnor win would see them through. This group is really too close to call.

Wow- I've got a lot of matches to get through! I hope you don't mind that I've fallen behind a bit. It's difficult to find the time to play in the World Cup, own a fantasy team, and be a sports writer.

Moria 1 - 3 Angband

Angband was not on top of things in that first half, but put it together to score three times in a twenty minute span during the second half. It's easy enough for Angband to get away with that sort of play during the group stage, but they'd better be ready to play a full game once the knock-out rounds begin.

Tuna 2 - 1 Shire

Tuna played this game smart, using their complete superiority to nab a two goal lead immediately out of the gate and then just coasting from there, conserving their energy and saving themselves for the knock-out rounds.

Mordor 4 - 0 Tol Eressea

Ouch. Yeah, I expected a Mordor win, but wow... possession 64-36, shots 15-2... Mordor looked scary good in that game. They looked like the Mordor team that won three cups in a row back in the day. The question is, was this a one game fluke, or a sign of their return?

Barrow-Downs 4 - 1 The Inklings

All the big guns were playing well, and so it is not surprising that the Downs ran away with the game. When all their forwards plus Phantom are on top of their game, it's impossible to keep the Downs off the board. But will everyone stay consistent? SPM and Phantom are famous for the inconsistency of their teamwork, seeming to share a brain and racking up lots of goals in one game, and then in the next game they can't get on the same page and sometimes they will feud and outright refuse to pass to one another. Let's hope a spirit of unity prevails throughout this World Cup.

Nargothrond 2 - 0 Buckland

Mormegil scored again? No way. I'm shocked. But seriously, things went as expected. Buckland doesn't have the athletes to push Nargothrond.

Old Grey Hill 0 - 1 Misty Mountains

Honestly, Old Grey Hill is playing way way better than I thought they would. I expected at least a two goal victory for Misty Mts. So, kudos to Mts for the win, and kudos to Hill for competing well. This is a weak group though, so don't get too excited.

Gondolin 2 - 0 Mirkwood

Mirkwood finally played up to their potential. Unfortunately, the opponent was Gondolin, who can beat just about anyone. Hurin certainly showed us all where Mormegil gets his scoring talents from.

Doriath 2 - 2 Ham

Doriath has got to be disappointed with this result. They are the better team. After taking the 2-0 lead they should have gone conservative and clogged up the field, but they chose not to, and paid for it.

Valinor 0 - 1 Erebor

As much as I dislike Angband's Melkor, I really think he said it right in his pre-tournament interview when he called out Manwe, telling him to "grow a pair". Valinor has some fantastic scorers on their team- just turn them loose! But it's probably too late now.

Lothlorien 2 - 0 Brethil

Personally, I thought the match was boring. Brethil played like a junior high team. I think they're eager to get back to the forest.

Roverandom 0 - 1 Dor Lomin

This result just makes it look even dumber that Mordor lost to Roverandom. It's downright suspicious.

Arnor 3 - 0 Rivendell

Ah, so Arnor is finally showing us what that offense can do. Poor Rivendell... it's like I said before the tournament- with that midfield they have there is no way they are advancing.

Oh, Mr. Ray-Gun... (Regan it was in the Matrix?), we have no choice but to endure... Sadly many times people who are involved and just get interested is when the hosts get bored...

Let's hope Sleepy will pull his act together.

Hey! I'm right here! Results will be up in a bit. I'm writing them now.
Sorry that I've been busy lately, just had things to do with my band and such. Also, I met two really old friends so I got a bit caught up there as well. Anyway, results to follow in the next post.

Arcticstorm has been quite busy as well but when I talked to him earlier today he had been updating his list.

Numenor scored the only goal of the game which came in a very one sided one half. In the second half Numenor seemed to be taking it easy and letting things happen at their own pace. That one goal however was the result of some superb play. Erendis began the move which ended up consisting of perhaps a dozen quick passes until the ball finally wound up at the feet of Tar-Miriel after being knock on by Tar-Ancalime.

Tar-Miriel first took a fake shot, sending the keeper the wrong way after which he flicked the ball into the goal putting Numenor ahead. After this Numenor did get another brilliant chance when Tar-Miriel crossed in for Ar-Pharzon. The midfielder let the chance go running as he failed to put foot to ball. Niggle's Parish never looked capable of scoring, not even when they got near goal. Numenor did enough to win, no more no less.

Shots: 5(2) - 1(1)
Posession: 58 - 42

Group E
Fangorn 0 - 0 Tol In Gauroth

Horrible game. Total sleeper. I pity the fans who turned up to see this drivel. The tone was set for the game when Ugluk got SENT OFF in just the 10th minute. Things did not seem to get any better for the game as Ranger picked up a yellow card soon after. Just before the break things got ugly and in the heat of the game, Cobbler made a viscious challenge which earned him a red card.

More or less the only chance of the game came when Werewolf leaped at Quickbeam and took him down. The referee was forced to flash another red card and Fangorn had a penalty. Ordinary Villager had to be the stand in goalkeeper. He did not really have to do anything as Treebeard shot well wide and well over. Truly horrible match.

Wooton Major did very well to hang onto a draw here. Bree should kick themselves for not winning this game considering the chances they created. I'll admit that none of the chances looked threatening at all but on account of the shots they took... I think they should be looking at replays of this game for a long, long time. There isn't much to report except that watch out for an flying balls, some of them still haven't been recovered.

Shots: 21(6) - 3(2)
Posession: 65 - 35

Group G
Rohan 0 - 1 Gondor
(Faramir 82nd)

Rohan dominated most of the posession but failed to use it effectively. Gondor had the best chances despite lacking posession. I don't mean a small difference, I mean a huge difference. Rohan just held the ball for most of the game but whenever Gondor got on the ball it looked like a certain goal. As the scoreline suggests they hardly touched the ball at all.

I've never understood posession football. How is holding the ball supposed to win you the game? Gondor had the right idea, you take the ball, make a kamakaizee run towards the opponent's goal and score. They just that. With the scores locked in the final ten minutes, Faramir knicked the ball off Eomer from his own box. From there the Gondorian made a fantastic sprint all the way to the edge of the Rohan box from where he lashed in a mean drive which nearly tore through the net. Despite the stats, the better team won this game.

Shots: 4(2) - 6(3)
Posession: 66 - 34

***

Both matches were fairly odd. Bree should have capitalized, they may well pay the price for failing to win this while someone needs to teach Rohan how to play football. They kept the game for most of the match but you don't win by passing in midfield. Gondor on the other hand, even with such little posession they played some electrifying football.

Numenor hardly raised a sweat in beating the hopelssly outclassed Niggle's Parish. Tar-Miriel and Tar-Ancalime played well up front, although Ar-Pharazon must have been hoping the ground would swallow him up after that mis-kick. This result assures Numenor a place in the next round, but they now have to play the highly impressive Nargothrond to decide who get's top spot in the Group.

Group E: Fangorn 0 - 0 Tol in Gaurhoth

It's hardly surprising that this game was so dreadful, with Fangorn's slow and ponderous attack and Tol In Gaurhoth's inexperience and poor team spirit. Ugluk's aggression is one of the things that makes him such a great player, but it also earned him a red card in this match. I still think that Fangorn would have done a lot better harnessing his strength and aggression up front. With two TiG players also being sent off, Fangorn should have done better, but they lacked the pace to make use of the extra space. This result puts Misty Mountains through in top spot and Fangorn still have the opportunity to progress. On the evidence of this performance, however, they may be hard pressed to do so. Unlikely as it may have seemed at the outset, I can see Old Grey Hill beating Tol in Gaurhoth to snatch second place in the Group.

Group F: Bree 0 - 0 Wooton Major

It's no surprise that Bree kept a clean sheet as they have a great defence. It is surprising, however, that they weren't able to snatch a goal or three here, particularly with The Old Master, Tom Bombadil, up front. With all those shots, they really really should have put at least two or three of them away. They should still go through to the next round, but they could have secured their place with a better performance here.

Group G: Gondor 1 - 0 Rohan

Unlike the match commentator, I do understand possession football. Teams that can't keep the ball are never going to win trophies (*coughEnglandcough*). Hoever, Rohan showed here that possession is only part of the equation. You need to be able to use it. They have the players to do that, so I can't for the life of me understand why they never perform as they should. A brilliant piece of individual play from Faramir showed Rohan exactly what you should do with the ball when you get it and earned Gondor the victory. The forthcoming match between Gondor and The Inklings will determine second place in this Group (and my money's still on The Inklings), while Edoras beckons for the Riders of Rohan.

Yellow Boot Trophy competition update

No major changes from the last update, just a few additions to the 'one-goalers':

Alright! The final round fixtures are here. I'm hoping that I could get a couple of volunteers to help me right the match. The only requirement is that you have decent knowledge of the sport. I'll send you the match details along with notes on the match. All you have to do is put in paragraph form. While it doesn't seem like much, it would really be a big help.

Also, do let me know (by PM) which matches and how many, you wish to cover.

Without further ado, onto the final fixtures. (These matches are to be played over the next two days)